Friday, September 19, 2014

CNN Ordered to Rehire 100 Employees by NLRB Did
you know CNN was anti-union? The 11-year dispute stems from CNN’s
decision to replace a unionized subcontractor called Team Video
Services, which provided the network with audio and video technicians,
with an in-house nonunion work force in its Washington and New York
bureaus.

Actor Vicki Lawrence, in a 1985 UFCW campaign:
"Unions stand up for what people need—good salary, reasonable job
security, appreciation for a job well done, and a chance to use their
abilities—and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is one of the best unions!"

WHAT'S NEWS THIS WEEK

1. A&P Completes Debt RefinancingThe
company has completed a refinancing of its existing senior debt — a
covenant-free arrangement the company said “provides for a significant
reduction in interest expense and enhanced liquidity and reflects the
debt market’s confidence in [its] ongoing progress and prospects for
future growth.”

2.Dozens of JFK Airport Workers StrikeBaggage
handlers, skycaps and wheelchair attendants walked off the job on
Wednesday morning, saying their employer, Alstate Maintenance, had
engaged in a variety of unfair labor practices. Meanwhile American
Airlines Workers voted to unionize this week!

3. Demonizing the Minimum WageThe
New Yorker explains why the fight to raise the minimum wage has become a
dividing political issue in Washington, when it should just be the
right and obvious thing to do. The federal minimum wage has never been
indexed to cost of living, and over 73% of Americans want the minimum
wage raised to $10.10.

4.Walmart Imposes Fake Sugar Tax in NY, Overcharges Customers for Sodas, Fined $66k The
attorney general’s office says the retail chain launched a national
sale in June advertising Coca-Cola 12-packs for $3, but consumers at 117
Wal-Mart stores in New York were routinely charged $3.50.Investigators
say consumers who complained were falsely told the state has a “sugar
tax.” They say the markup of more than 16% violated two laws.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Last month, NYC politicians sent a letter to Mrs. Green's Natural Market expressing their concern for their labor practices. The company was federally charged earlier this year for unlawfully firing 8 workers who supported United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500. The workers had no prior records and were combined working at the company for over 50 years. Workers were on a picket line for over 6 months until the company folded to public pressure settling the charges and rehiring workers with back pay.

Although the company tried to "spin" the story and say they welcomed the workers back, if it wasn't for the tremendous community support, along with NLRB charges, workers would still be out on the picket line.

Mrs. Green's planned on opening a store in New York's West Village this Spring 2014, but there have been numerous delays. The store is still not open (September 2014) and New York's West Village politicians want to ensure their new neighbor won't be restricting the rights of their workers like they have in their other stores. Thanks to NY Senator Brad Hoylman, Assembly Member Deborah Glick and Council Member Corey Johnson, for sending a letter to the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Office of Mrs. Green’s Natural Market and standing up for retail workers.